VVT fishermen complain of harassment by Navy

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 September 2004, 15:19 GMT]
Two fishermen of Valvettithurai in Jaffna district Sunday lodged complaints with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna and Sea Tigers that they are continuously harassed by the Sri Lanka Navy personnel in midsea while fishing, fisheries society sources said.

They said in their complaints that SLN had snatched their passes Friday and threatened them with drastic action against them if they were seen fishing in future.

The SLN personnel arrested these two fishermen last week when they were fishing. Later they were produced in Mallakam Magistrate's Court by the Kankesanthurai Police on a charge that they were fishing in sea area that comes under the high security zone. However the Mallakam Magistrate released them on bail and put off the inquiry for a later date, sources said.

When these fishermen went to sea last Friday as usual with their passes issued to them for fishing the SLN personnel had ordered them not to come for fishing, fisheries sources said.